News

Ask the Experts: The gardener

The rose grape (Medinilla magnifica) is a spectacular indoor plant with large, glossy leaves that have prominent pale green veins. In late spring and early summer it produces enormous panicles of pink flowers that hang like bunches of grapes. To thrive, it needs plenty of space as the plant can reach a height and spread of 3ft, so it should be positioned in a consistently warm (about 16C to 18C is ideal), well-lit spot but kept out of direct summer sun.

From spring to autumn, keep the compost lightly moist and apply a liquid feed every month. A humid atmosphere is also important, so stand the pot on a saucer of damp gravel and mist the leaves at least twice a week. In winter, stop feeding the plant and water it more sparingly.